Responsible investing is on the rise, with more than $1.5 trillion of assets in Australia being managed according to ESG principles - up from $1.28 trillion in 2020. 

Toyota has placed last in a ranking of car makers’ decarbonisation efforts as a new Greenpeace Australia Pacific report exposes the company’s track record of lobbying against measures to reduce climate pollution from vehicles, greenwashing, and advocacy for fossil-fuelled hybrid vehicles.

Labor’s climate change bill is poised to pass the upper house today after the government agreed to independent senator David Pocock’s proposals to improve accountability and transparency. 

Coal is in permanent decline with Australia’s key allies turning to renewable energy and away from coal-fired power in response to the energy crisis and high prices, according to the independent Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.

One of Australia’s biggest super funds has warned electricity producers AGL and Origin and gas companies Santos and Woodside that it could dump their stocks unless the companies take serious steps to align their business plans with limiting global heating to 1.5 degrees Celcius.

Veteran economist Ross Garnaut says Australia is better placed than any other country to prosper from the global energy transition and used his keynote address at the jobs and skills summit to call for investment in renewables. 

New national emissions data for the March quarter reveals climate pollution rose by 1.5 per cent, yet again largely driven by transport, showing the need for a revved up commitment to fuel efficiency standards.

Australia’s Energy Market Operator has warned that NSW, SA and Victoria could struggle to keep the lights on unless there is a massive investment in power generation, storage and transmission over the next decade.

One hundred scientists and academics have penned an open letter, calling on the federal government to consider the emissions from new coal and gas projects in the assessment process.

Labor marks its first 100 days in government. While some strong progress has been made on climate and energy (particularly compared to the efforts of the previous administration), the release of vast swathes of our ocean for oil and gas exploration last week is sending a very mixed signal.